The Minority MPs challenged the ruling by the Speaker that the 2024 budget had been approved by a majority voice vote and called for a head count.
This decision did not go down well with the majority of MPs who walked out of the house.
Both the Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson, and Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu made their concluding remarks today.
“You were all there you heard the speaker loud and clear, why should a speaker beat such a hasty retreat from what he has said? In this case, he said the Is have it. Then you have the speaker making a sudden U-turn that he didn’t add that the Is have it. He just expressed an opinion. And that’s most unfortunate. So, we think that the proper thing should be done.
"We agreed on the headcount, what was he waiting for? For about 30 minutes he was not doing anything. What kind of attitude is this? That is why we left the chamber. Five MPs of minority are not here so all that he’s doing is to play for time to enable them to find a way into the chamber. That is it, that is all that it is.” Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.
The Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson says the 2024 budget has not been approved and the caucus will not support its approval in its current form.
“The NPP has been defeated in a grand style. This is the second time the NPP has run away from its budget, the second time in the history of Ghana, sensing defeat. We have got them and will get them again.
"The fact is that the NPP doesn’t have the numbers to approve their budget. NDC MPs were ready to vote against the budget for a very good reason. We cannot allow this budget to go through in its current form, because the ordinary Ghanaian will suffer,” Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson added.
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta presented the 2024 budget policy document in Parliament on November 15, 2023.